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Well That Was Rude

Grind for November 10th, 2018FIRST SIP:“All of the beautiful sentiments in the world weigh less than a single lovely action.”
– James Russell Lowell

Fighting Back

The Headline

Iran says it will “proudly break” US sanctions

The Grind

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani promised Tehran would “proudly break” the “unfair sanctions” that went into effect on Monday.

“Unfair sanctions are against the law, UN resolutions, and international accords,” said Rouhani. “It’s not going to work out only through words…Action means putting pressure on the US so it doesn’t dare to continue with its plots.”

US sanctions include a full ban on Iranian oil as well as restrictions on more than 700 Iranian banks, companies, and individuals.

The Trump Administration also forced global financial-messaging service Swift to cut ties with some Iranian banks, a step that will significantly increase the cost of international transactions for Iran.

“This step, while regrettable, has been taken in the interest of the stability and integrity of the wider global financial system,” said Swift.

The Details

Despite previous threats to issue no waivers, the Trump Administration is allowing the following countries to continue buying oil from Iran: China, India, Greece, Italy, South Korea, Japan, Turkey, and Taiwan. The Trump Administration is also allowing Iraq to continue buying electricity and natural gas from Iran without penalty.

The waiver is valid for just 180 days, but governments will have the opportunity to obtain an extension if they present a plan to eventually stop purchasing Iranian oil.

Any nation without a waiver that buys Iranian oil will risk US sanctions that block businesses from accessing the US financial system.

The long-term plan here is to cut Tehran’s oil exports to zero and force Iran into financial isolation until it decides to change its destabilizing behavior.

Iran’s international sales have already dropped by more than 30% in anticipation of the sanctions.

Good Advice

The Headline

What is “phubbing” and why you need to stop doing it

The Grind

Phone snubbing or “phubbing” is when you check your phone while in the presence of other people.

Top reasons we check our phones include:

— Boredom/need for entertainment

— FOMO (fear of missing out)

— Lack of self-control

— Addiction to Internet/social media

— Gaming

The Implication

According to a survey conducted by The Conversation, we are most likely to “phub” partners, friends, and family members. We are least likely to phub grandparents, managers, subordinates, and customers.

These results suggest that we understand phubbing is rude and unprofessional.

Situations in which we are most likely to phub: when taking public transportation, when on break at work, when in bed with your partner, during class, and when socializing with friends.

According to research, phubbing can have a negative impact on personal relationships.

When you play Internet games in front of your children, it can make them feel unloved.

And when you scroll through Twitter in bed at night, it can make your partner feel unimportant and can decrease his or her satisfaction with the relationship.

So next time you find yourself reading articles about bad relationships, why not put the phone down and work on your own?

GOOD TO THE LAST DROP:Did you know… The leading cause of poisoning for children under the age of six in the home is liquid dish soap.